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Puns and guns? Must be Wynonna Earp…

With all the activity around Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s 20th anniversary this year, I’ve been reminded that (a) I’m getting on a bit and (b) Buffy was my gateway into fandom. A kick ass female lead with a cool group of friends, fighting the forces of darkness – what was not to love? Since Buffy finished up in 2003 I’ve been searching for something to replace that first love. Other fandoms have come into my life but they haven’t been able to live up to the wonder of the Slayer and her Scooby gang. Until now….

I started watching Wynonna Earp a few months ago when season 1 appeared on Netflix. I had a vague recollection of seeing some good reviews so I thought I would give it a bash. AND I’M SO GLAD I DID! I’m now nearly finished season 2 (purchased from iTunes since it’s only the first season on Netflix) and I am counting the days until Season 3 appears.

So what’s all the fuss about? It’s not like I haven’t fallen in love with other shows along the way? Supernatural, Firefly, Supergirl and Parks and Rec are all high on the fandom list. So what makes this show any different? It didn’t click with me immediately. Husband turned to me after the third episode and said ‘this has got a bit of a Buffy vibe’ and to my shame I scoffed. No show could ever match up to the 144 episodes of awesomeness that is Buffy Summers. Then somewhere around the end of the first season, something clicked. I was falling in love with this world, these characters and the stories that were being built around them. Could it be that I had found a new love? Let’s look at the list to find out…

Strong female lead/The Chosen One

Things are getting better but for so long I ached for a strong female lead to come along and blow my socks off. And Wynonna did just that! She is messed up and strong and feisty and caring and so much more. Add in the fact that she is the Heir to Wyatt Earp, doomed to fight off damned souls in her hometown and you can see why the Buffy parallels seem apparent. But Wynonna is Buffy’s older, swearier, boozier sister with a big shiny gun!

A superb ensemble cast

A good lead is important in a TV show but having a superb ensemble cast that you care about just as much is TV gold. I adore and am emotionally invested in every single member of the cast. Each one brings something different to the table in terms of skills for the team and character arcs for the viewer. Each member of the cast is vital to the success of the show.

Demons and ghosties and witches, oh my!

Make no mistake, this is a supernatural show. It has a wild west tone and wisecracking characters but there are some freaky demons and things that go bump in the night. And our girl is the one chosen to protect her town of Purgatory from them all. There is some scary moments in there!

A good sense of humour

Nothing is more attractive than a good sense of humour. That’s true in people and it’s definitely true in TV shows. Yes, sometimes you need to be serious but we also need to laugh. Wynonna Earp has HANDS DOWN the best quippage and one liners in any TV show at the moment. Sometimes the jokes go past so quickly I miss them and only catch them on a rewatch!

World Building and Diversity

Courtesy of Syfy

Sometimes TV can run the risk of looking the same as the show before and the show after. Not Wynonna Earp! The show is filmed in Alberta, Canada and the landscapes are almost a character in their own. It looks spectacular. And within that world and all the mythology that goes with it, we have a group of characters that represent real diversity. We have a strong female lead, a black man running the team and commanding utmost respect, a beautiful and realistic romantic relationship between two women…and a dude with an awesome moustache!

A passionate fandom

People who love Wynonna Earp, LOVE Wynonna Earp. Hey, I totally get it! They tweet about it, post about it, write about it, podcast about it. Anything to make sure that the showrunners and the network know how much they care about it and to keep it on the air. I’ve been listening to Tales of the Black Badge podcast and if you enjoy a deeper look at your TV shows, this is a great listen.

If you are looking for a new TV show in your life, I would thoroughly recommend Wynonna Earp. Just don’t come running to me if you fall down a fandom hole and can’t get out!